Chapter 42: Dr. Zola vs. the Death Knight Abomination

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"Heh heh, little girl, why not come with me quietly? If you do, you and your brother will be safe. Otherwise, things might get... messy."

"Safe? So we can be taken back and turned into Hydra's next experiments like the other mutants?" Wanda retorted.

"That, I can't say," Dr. Zola replied, his tone dripping with mock curiosity. "But Wanda, your ability to control others' minds fascinates me. You see, I'm something of an expert in that field myself."

As Zola rambled on, Baron Zemo's patience wore thin. "Dr. Zola, what are you doing? Stop wasting time and finish them off! If Fury notices what's happening here, we'll have a much bigger problem."

"I don't need you giving me orders!" Zola snapped, turning to glare at Zemo. Although he was grateful to Zemo's father, the original Baron Zemo, for bringing him into Hydra, he found the younger Zemo's commands insufferable.

With a sharp hum, twin crimson beams shot out from Zola's mechanical eyes. Wanda, now releasing her hold over Pietro's body, quickly reacted. Pietro shoved Wanda aside, both of them narrowly evading the deadly blast. The scorching rays left a charred trail across the ground.

Watching from the shadows, Garus decided it was time to act. If Wanda and Pietro were captured, the mission would fail, and retrieving them later would become even more complicated.

Just as Garus was about to draw his weapon, he paused. He wasn't just a lone operative anymore—he was the leader of a growing organization. This was the perfect opportunity to test one of his subordinates: the Death Knight Abomination.

With a surge of necrotic energy, Garus summoned a glowing purple portal in the midst of the battlefield. The sudden appearance startled everyone, causing both Zola and Wanda to cease their fight momentarily, warily eyeing the portal.

From the swirling gateway stepped Emil Blonsky, now transformed into the monstrous Death Knight Abomination. His blood-red eyes scanned the Hydra agents surrounding him, and a sinister grin spread across his face as the thrill of battle ignited within him.

"Blonsky, take care of that robot for me," Garus commanded.

"Yes, master. Oh-ho!" Blonsky roared in response, his body swelling as he grew to over four meters tall, his sheer bulk ripping apart his clothing. Once a mottled brown, his skin now glowed a crimson hue, corrupted by the blood magic coursing through his veins.

With a thunderous stomp, Blonsky charged toward Dr. Zola. Each step left deep craters in the ground.

Seeing the hulking creature barreling toward him, Zola let out a startled yelp. Activating the jet thrusters in his robotic legs, he launched himself skyward, intending to attack from above. But he didn't get far. With a leap that cracked the earth beneath him, Blonsky soared like a cannonball, grabbing Zola by the legs mid-air and hurling him back to the ground.

"Boom!" The impact kicked up a massive cloud of dust, momentarily obscuring the battlefield.

From his vantage point, Zemo began to panic. "What is that thing? Where did it come from?" he muttered, his confidence shaken by the sudden arrival of such a powerful foe.

"Open fire!" Zemo ordered, his voice tinged with desperation. The Hydra agents unleashed a hail of bullets, forcing Blonsky to stagger backward.

Blood Shield.

A shimmering barrier of crimson energy absorbed much of the incoming fire, though Blonsky still felt the sting of some rounds. The minor irritation only fueled his rage.

"You pests! I'll crush you all!" he bellowed, turning his attention to the Hydra agents and charging at them. For the moment, he ignored his original target, Dr. Zola.

"Idiot! Focus on the robot first!" Garus muttered, observing Blonsky's feral instincts taking over. Though immensely powerful, Blonsky's brutish nature often turned him into a mindless berserker, attacking whatever provoked him.

Meanwhile, Zola struggled to right himself, his robotic frame dented and twisted from the impact. Gripping his misshapen neck, he twisted it back into place. Fortunately, his mechanical body had spared him from death.

Enraged, Zola adjusted his laser's output, unleashing a more concentrated beam at Blonsky. The searing red energy burned into Blonsky's flesh, forcing the behemoth to stumble and roar in pain. Grabbing an unfortunate Hydra agent, Blonsky used the man as a human shield. Within moments, the agent was reduced to ash.

Though Blonsky's immense strength made him nearly impervious to physical attacks, his lack of magical resistance left him vulnerable to energy-based assaults. For now, the battle was at a stalemate.

Wanda and Pietro watched the chaos unfold, relieved that the monstrous intruder seemed uninterested in them. Pietro whispered, "Wanda, let's get out of here."

Nodding, Wanda helped her brother limp away. Between Zola's relentless attacks and Blonsky's rampage, Zemo and Hydra were too preoccupied to notice their escape.

But as they neared the edge of the battlefield, Garus stepped out from the shadows, blocking their path. Wanda's heart sank as she recognized him as the man from the Hydra base months ago. In their current state, they had no chance of defeating him.

"Relax," Garus said quickly, raising his hands to show he meant no harm. "I'm not here to capture you."

The siblings exchanged skeptical glances but remained on guard.

Looking them over, Garus couldn't help but pity their condition. Pietro's leg was drenched in blood, and Wanda's pale face was framed by hair matted with dust and grime.

"What do you want?" Wanda demanded, her voice tinged with exhaustion.

"I want to invite you to join my X-Academy," Garus said simply.

Wanda's eyes narrowed. "And if we refuse?"

Garus gestured toward the ongoing battle. "See that monster? He's one of my subordinates. What do you think of his strength?"

"So you're threatening us," Pietro growled, his fists clenched.

"No, not at all," Garus replied calmly. "The X-Academy is a sanctuary for mutants, a place where you'll be among your own kind. Humans fear those who are different, especially those stronger than them."

As Wanda hesitated, weighing his words, the battle between Blonsky and Zola reached its climax.